Improvement in seats and couches for railroad-cars



T. T. WOODRUFF.

Car Seat and Couch.

Patented Jan. 24, 1860.

, 12:1: LTZ: I 10111::

.lnventon 97% Witnesses AM. PHOTO-LITHQCO. N.Y. (GSBURNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE T. WOODRUFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,942, dated January 24, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'l. T. WOODRUFF, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ,in ConvertibleSeats and Couches for Railroad-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical section of a railroad-car, representing in one compartment the arrangement of seats, and in another compartment the seats transformed into two double coaches, each for four persons; and Fig. 2 is another section taken in a plane parallel with the plane of Fig. 1.

The'same letters indicate like parts iu both figures.

My said invention relates to improvements in the arrangement of seats in railroad-carsiu such manner that they can be readily and conveniently transformed into two double couches on which four persons can recline: and the first part of my said invention, which relates to an improvement on an invention previously made by me, and fully described in an application for Letters Patent of even date with this, consists in combining two sets of frames arranged transversely in a car, each set con.- sisting of two frames, one to form seats for two persons and the other to form the backs thereof, and sustained on suitable supports and arranged on opposite sides of each compartment of a car, by means of which they can be arranged to form two opposite seats with backs, each seat for two persons, or spread out in one plane to form a double couch for two persons; andmy saidinvention, which also relates to an improvement on the before-recited prior invention, consists in combining two opposite frames, each connected with a portion of the car by sliding and hinged joints, so that the two frames can be thrown up in one and the same horizontal plane, and there secured to form an elevated couch or letdown in a vertical position, and by means of the slidingjoints let down behind the seats and their backs to be out of the way.

In the accompanying drawings, or represents the floor, b the roof, and c c the sides, of a railroad-car divided by transverse partitions d d into a series of compartments on each with the usual passage-way between them. Each compartment is provided with seatsfor four persons, which can be converted into couches at the same elevation as the seats for two persons, which, with two elevated couches, will accommodate as many persons lying down as can sit down.

At each end of each compartment there are two frames, cf, the one, 6, to form two seats, and the other, e, the backs thereof. These two frames can be connected by joint-links g g at the ends; or they may be separate. The one, 6, rests and slides onways h h, projecting from the side of the car, and from the inside of the arm-i'ramesa' along the central passage-way, and the inner corner of this frame 6 is provided with alcg,j,tosnpportit, toform aconch.asrepresented. When this frame is pushed back to form a seat the other frame, f, is placed in a nearly-vertical position, as represented, to form a sofa-like back to the seat-frame e, and when the frame 0 is drawn out in the position c the frame fis let down onto the ways behind and on the same plane with the frame 0, as represented at cf', and as there are two such frames similarly arranged at the other end of the compartment, when the two sets of framesare thus drawn outthey form a couch of suflicient width for two persons. These frames are to be suitably upholstered for couches and for seats and backs. There are two other frames, 10 k, adapted to slide on bars 1 l, hinged to theinnerface of the. partitions dd, the bars and their hinges being so formed that these frames can be let down in a vertical position against the partitions and back of the sofa-backs to be out of the way when arranged as seats, as represented in the compartment A; but when couches are required, as represented in compartment B, the sofa-frames are drawn out of the way, the frames k 70 drawn up, and then turned out in a horizontal position, as represented in compartment B, so as to be on the same plane, and to have the ends of the two come together, and there held up by springer other catches n n, attached to the side of the car, and by hinged brace-rods O O, hinged to the inner edge of the frames and resting on the arm-frames. In this way I am enabled to form an elevated couch for two persons so hi gh above the other couch as to givefree access to the lower couch, and yet not so elevated as to be inconvenient of access, and when the 'car is to be used with seats the frames constituting the elevated couch can be readily put out of the way.

The upper surface ofthe frames is k are to be suitably upholstered for couches.

I do not claim under this application as part of this invention the combination of either of the sofa and back frames with the car by the supporting-way; nor the combination of either of the frames is with the car by hinged bars on which they slide, as they are claimed as of my invention in another application for Letters Parent of evelrdate with this; but

YVhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the two sets of seat and back frames, arranged and combinedwith the car by supporting-ways, substantially as described, so that when the said two sets of seat and back frames are opened out they shall constitute a couch suitable for two persons, as

THEODORE T. woonR FF.

Witnesses:

ANDREW DE LACY, WM. H. BISHOP. 

